Emperor Leron Tyce
Leron Tyce (1864 DE - 12 VE) was a Verenian statesman and military leader who became the first emperor of the Verenian Empire, reigning from 0 VE until his death in 12 VE. His role in forming the Council of the Last Year and leading its armies in the Southern War and the Verenian Conquest has earned him the reputation as the creator of modern Verenia and one of the continent's most famous and lasting historical figures. Tyce was born into Linarian aristocracy as the eldest son of Keyon Tyce and heir to the Tycian Dynasty, which was the most prominent military families in Linares at the time. Following the invasion of Linares and several other northern kingdoms by the Magi Devan Markus and the disastrous Battle of Farthing Hill, which saw the deaths of several prominent Linarian leaders and Keyon Tyce, Leron Tyce assumed control of the Linarian army and began to achieve a few smaller victories. With the reputation of these victories, Tyce took direct control of Linares and called other invaded kingdoms to the Council of the Last Year, where all factions present at the council committed to a single coalition with a centralized army led by the newly crowned Emperor Tyce, who then cemented this coalition with his betrothal to Queen Leondrea Neinna of the Grazia Kingdom. This council would later be recognized as the beginning of the Verenian Empire and be marked as Year One in the Verenian Era. After a year and a half long campaign, Tyce managed to regain significant amounts of ground back from Devan's forces, eventually confronting Devan at the Battle of the Rock. In the face of an overwhelming force and opposition beyond what Devan promised them, several officers and advisers in Devan's army rose up and assassinated him on the eve of battle. The next day, what remained of Devan's army was easily crushed by the Verenian forces with most of Devan's allies having defected following the mutiny. Afterwards, many of these former allies were accepted into the Verenian Empire and joined Tyce's forces, formally pledging their loyalty at the Royal Wedding between Emperor Leron and the new Empress Leondrea in Falstaff in 1 VE. With this increase in power and validation for his coalition, Tyce began a second campaign to unite the continent under his rule and fully establish the power of the Verenian Empire while Empress Leondrea traveled back to Linares to oversee the economic, political, and cultural reform to justify the new order. It was during this time that Empress Leondrea gave birth to their first born child, the Prince Maxim Tyce. Throughout his twelve year reign, Leron Tyce spent most of it traveling around the continent in an on and off conquest and diplomatic mission to unite the entire known world under his empire, which he was almost successful. Sometime in 12 VE, Tyce contracted Crook Fever while in the field and fell deathly ill. While being treated, Tyce wrote to his vassals that his son Maxim, who he had accompany him on his campaign, would succeed him as Emperor of Verenia and to be tutored by Leron's close friend and general, Cyrus Barclay, until he is able to fully take the throne once he matures at the age of 17, thereby cementing the succession law of Verenian royalty. One week later, Emperor Leron Tyce succumbed to the disease and died at the age of 52, leaving his son as Emperor Maxim Tyce.